The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-05-22
MANUFACTURE OF GOLD LEAF.
Work and Wages of Gold Beaters :
Some Interesting Information.

Some Interesting Information.
Gold leaf is manufactured in abou
twenty shops in New York and it
suburbs. Il is estimated that 20 800
ounces of gold are consumed annual,
here in making gold leaf. Gold can b.
beaten so thin that it will take 100
leaves to equal the thickness of tn
sheet upon which this paper is printed
An ounce can be beaten down to $50
leaves three and three eighth inche.
square.
At an establishm ent on Hudson
Street reporter was told that the golc
Is bought OF brokers in small ingots
which are melted into bars about a quar-
ter OF an inch thick. These ara rolled
into ribbon as thick as note paper. AT
ter passing through the hands of the
beaters it is put in books, interviewed
with manila tissue, and twenty book
are put in a package. No dross comes
from the gold as it is beaten, but there are
ragged edges that drop off. The leaf is
used by gilders, book binders, dentists
and sign painters.
The wages of gold heaters are S1l a
week. A piece hand gets IS beating.
A good one car possibly do two week.
aad as many as nine month have been
done. Extra is paid if the workman
beats the gold below five gains to a
book. Some can go to four and one
half and even four grains per beck.
How thin can you get lt?" beater
ID BrOome Street was asked.
1t is beaten to one three hundred
thousandth of an inch thick at FIVE
grains 10 the book If il gets down to
four grains it is one three-hundred-and
sixty thousaadth of an inch. The New
York system employs men only, with
girls to do the cutting. The German
system employs children OF org. On
that system men do the beating ana
girls do the printing and filing"
How Is the gold beaten?
1t Is beaten IN moids made in Lon
don from the intestines of cows, cleaned
and vanished with a secret preparation
manufactured by Puckridge d. Nephew
OF London. The skins are put in pack
ages OF 800 skins each, and three of these
mods go to beating"
How much gold IS there in a beat
ing?"
Fifty pennyweights in a beating
The ribbon OF solid gold is divided into
10 or 1870 pieces, each about an inch
square. These are put into q clutch
made Of French paper four inches
square. That is beaten until we get the
gold to the edges. 1t is handled with
plncers at that time. 1t is TO be beaten
half an nour. The pieces are then piled
twenty on top of each other. They are
then cut in four and doubled over, max
ing $50. They are then putin sch, -
der, or finer mold cut down We fill
the schoder with those leaves in the mid
die, and beat it out to the edges. We
beat it about two hours, until we draw
about ten pennyWeights off the scho-
der
docs it have to be Kept dry"
I'VE have to keep the wiuGows shut;
but the clutches, schoders and molds
take up so much moisture that they
have to be put in hot mold to press the
moisture out"
docs that finish it?'
"Oh no The leaves are cut again
into four with a tool called q wagon,
making 1850, but the molds hold only
2,700. The molds are beaten four hours,
at the end of each hour there being
wl4t is called close when they are
heated. Then the beaten is through
with it, and the cutter takes t. This is
the only work done by the girls in New
York. They can cut from thirty to
thiriy-Six books a day, at 81
cents book The leaf when it gets in a
book is so thin that, it is handled only
with the breath"
"How is the work tested ?"
"Only with the eye. There is no rule
about The business but it is purely a
matter of skill and judgment. The best
is the kind used on glass, which shows
all imperfections."
II notice gold beaters usually work
in easements. why is that2"
"a frmer blow can be given. If on
the first story, there is jar, which de-
riorates the quality"
is there any adulteration in the
bu iness?"
The Germans beat what is called a
metal leaf with an alloy 1t is sold very
cheap. 1t is oleonargarine of gold leaf,
and will tarnish. Much of it is used by
book binders"
when did the trade start?''
at is very ancient. Ii is mentioned
in the Bible. Gold leaf WAS used on
Solomon's temple. The Chinese beat
gold leaf, but it cannot compare in quail
Ity with American leaf. Some of the
Cinnamon had trouble with their en-
ployers, but they soon ended it. They
got the employer into their lodge room,
and then one after another took big
bite out of his flesh. New York San